Pure, Wondrous and Stupid
by Mr. Mxyzptlk
Summary: The Dragonborn reflects on his choices as a vampire, and a certain vampire princess. The one who makes him feel alive once more. Serana. Based on the DLC Dawnguard, possibly the first fanfiction of said expansion. Thus, it contains spoilers, you've been warned. Rated K-Plus for one mention of sex. Features my Breton Mage Dovahkiin, Marz. Oneshot unless I get alot of feedback.


IMPORTANT A.N., READ: This is based on the new DLC Dawnguard. If you haven't played it, watched a walkthrough or read up on it, you probably won't understand this. This is the first thing I've submitted in quite a while and it's probably crap, but this is how I see the relationship between the Dragonborn and the vampire princess working out if you chose the vampire side. Most likely going to be a oneshot unless a lot of people want me to continue.

Now, please sit comfortably and do the three R's. Relax, Read and Review.

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Pure, Wondrous and Stupid

Marz Motierre was many things. Mage, scholar, historian, Breton, wanderer. He was well traveled, and quite the adventurer. He was hailed all over Skyrim as one who could solve any problem, large or small. Whether it was saving a young girl who was actually a religious prophet from bandits, healing a sacred tree, stopping a murderer of young girls, catching thieves, or simply bringing bad news that people needed to hear.

Yes, the young Motierre was many things… he was also the Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold… oh, and the Dragonborn… and a… vampire… well… Lord of All Vampires in Skyrim actually…

That last one was the newest actually… though probably still one of his more awe-inspiring.

It had been a year since Marz, the Dragonborn, Savior of the World, Master of all Magic in Skyrim and Champion of the North, had semi-retired from the adventuring game. He had solved most, if not all of Skyrim's grievances, large and small. His journeys had accumulated him vast wealth and fame. His political power had been assured once he had helped the empire retake Skyrim and became an honored Thane of all the Holds. And with his latest, and hopefully last, adventure of becoming a Vampire Lord, he now had a castle to call home.

Ruling a court of vampires was not easy… especially when he took into account his duties as Thane and Arch-Mage into account, the paperwork of which still somehow found its way to his desk in his new study in Castle Volkihar. As well as dealing with the occasional dragon that was causing trouble, or keeping the Blades far away from Paarthurnax. But he managed, and he kept the vampires well in line.

It had not been easy… but he had also struck a deal with the Dawnguard. In exchange for letting he and his court be, Marz kept most of the vampires in Skyrim in check, feeding and killing no more than what was absolutely needed, with the Dawnguard more than welcome to hunt down any rebel or glutton, which was more than enough to keep their reputation up.

Still… the last year had been peaceful, overall. No more venturing into dangerous tombs, no more horrible plans from great evils that could destroy the world, no more dealing with bumbling townsfolk or idiotic guards. No, the most that happened to Marz nowadays was the occasional outing to kill an unreasonable dragon, a few bandits or troll attacks when he went to visit Paarthurnax…

Oh, and the regular Vampire assassin attempting to take the throne for himself or his secret master. However, that Marz found easy enough to deal with. If you can kill a dragon god, you can kill a vampire who thinks their sneaky, and if you can make Ulfric Stormcloak and General Tulius to come to an agreement, you can outsmart a Vampire politician.

There was only one thing that… complicated Marz's new life. Well… more like one person.

Serana.

The wondrous Princess of the Vampires… he loved her… he had admitted that to himself long ago. Her very name filled him with happiness and lust.

Serana… well… theirs was a… unique relationship. Especially when you take into account the age difference and the fact he killed her father.

It was no secret. Everyone who saw them together, how they looked at each other, how they talked to one another knew there was something going on between them. But Marz was not sure he would call it… a steady relationship.

He was not sure when it started… the first restful morning she had crept into his room, eyes misty… the first starlit evening she had strode into his study, hips swaying. It always followed a specific formula. She would appear, they would banter, they would make love, and they would then spend the rest of the day together, whether out exploring Skyrim, or simply lounging about the castle, talking about their lives or interests. She loved to hear about his theories on magic and his tales of his past adventures and he loved to her of her life and tales from before the Empire.

Those in the court who were partial to intact limbs and their comfortable lifestyles knew enough not to bother them.

But as stated, Marz was not sure if it was… real. Their wonderful moments of passion and their days of simply being with each other only happened about twice a week. Every other day she was either out and about by herself or with her mother or working on her own skills. This would not have been a problem, as Marz understood her desire for independence coupled with her… issues with people close to her. But whenever it was not one of 'Their Days' as he had taken to calling them, if he were to see her, she would avert her gaze and quicken her steps… and only offer a small hello before escaping.

Marz sighed to himself as he sat in his study on the highest floor of Castle Volkihar. He raised his hand, a small green flame with a blue center resting in his palm. He had just created this spell. He called it the 'Enemies B' Gone'. It was an improved and much more powerful version of the 'Enemies Explode' spell that was created by some Mages Guild witch about two hundred years ago. Normally this would have filled him with great joy and he would rush off to test it on some lumbering trolls or unsuspecting giants… but his thoughts on Serana had left him in no mood to do so.

He extinguished the spell as he heard footsteps from out the door. He sighed as he readied a few more spells in his mind, just in case it was another assassin. He was a bit surprised to see Serana's mother, Valerica. He didn't dismiss the spells from his mind however… she was still a candidate as an assassin, albeit for more… personal reasons.

Serana's mother had returned to the castle when she had been brought news that her husband was dead and that Auriel's Bow was now locked up safely, and guarded by her daughter and the 'half-blood' she had met in the Soul Cairn. Her lab and garden were now restored to their former glory and the rest of the court actually seemed pleased with her return. It seemed Serana was not the only one who preferred her mother's company to her father.

"Valerica." Marz said with a bow of his head.

"Half-Blood." She returned, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

The two of them had a… interesting friendship. Both being scholars and magic users they often had many topics to debate. Valerica was also very grateful for the death of her husband and the safety of her daughter, as well as her return to the castle and her laboratory, though she herself would never admit it. She was also the only vampire in all of existence Marz allowed to use the disrespectful label 'half-blood', he allowed it because she was Serana's mother and she did it because she knew it annoyed him. Most other vampires who called him that found their heads missing not long after.

"What can I do for you?" Marz asked, resting his head on his fist.

"I need to talk to you." the vampire matriarch replied.

"Obviously, or you wouldn't be here. What about? Do you wish to know more about Soul Gem re-forging? Maybe you would like to debate a bit more on the effects of teleportation spells? Or did you sense the new spell I created? It is quite a wonder, I could-" he rambled but was stopped halfway.

"I need to talk to you about my daughter." she said evenly, a cold tint creeping into her voice and her eyes hardening more than what were normal.

The former Breton stopped at that. Oh, he had wondered when this was coming… the parents of the people in a relationship often had choice words for their son or daughters significant other… he had hoped vampires were different.

"…I see. About?"

"Serana is changing…" she said, slowly.

Changing? Well that was vague… and interesting, if a tad worrying.

"Something's wrong? What is it? Is she alright?" He asked, a look of concern coming over him.

"She is fine… for now… but I believe you are the cause of her recent… changes." Valerica replied, eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean, 'cause'? I am to blame? I would never… you actually think I would EVER harm her?" Marz demanded, a snarl forming on his face.

Valerica was quiet for a moment before sighing, sitting in one of his guest chairs.

"No… you would never harm her. My apologies, I should have been clearer with my explanation… but I needed to see your reactions to my claims. Serana is… happier as of late. I can see it. She smiles more often, and laughs when we talk. She hears me and I listen to her… it is as though… she is my little girl again. She has not been like this since… before Harkon and I had our falling out." the older vampire explained.

"…I see. So you think… I am the cause of this new happiness? How?" Marz asked innocently.

"Do not play dumb… you are not good at it." Valerica snapped with a frown. "I know what is going on between you and my daughter… and I admit I'm not completely happy with it. However, I know what is best for my daughter, as any mother does… and you are it. Just as you are what is best for this clan."

"…so is that it? You came all the way up here to give me your blessing?" Marz asked with a disbelieving chuckle.

"…partially. But to also ask why, after a year, you have not furthered your relationship." she said with a stern look.

Marz realized she had never looked more like a mother.

"…I suppose you mean…" He raised his left hand and twitched his ring finger.

"Yes, I mean…" she copied the gesture.

Oh dear…

"Well… it has only been a year… some… courtships go on for several… I mean…" Marz began but was cut off.

"Not in Skyrim. And most courtships do not allow the pleasures of the flesh before marriage. Now I ask again, and I expect an honest answer this time." the vampiress stated with finality.

"…because I'm unsure." he said, standing up and walking towards the window of his study.

"Unsure? Do you not care for my daughter? Has all this been a game to you or do you care only when she's in your bed?" Valerica said with venom in her voice.

"Do not say that to me!" Marz roared, blood boiling from his skin and his vision blurring.

Before either of them knew it, Marz had transformed into his Vampire Lord form and now had Valerica pinned to a wall with a large clawed hand.

"I LOVE her! I fell into complete lust with her the moment I saw her emerge from her stone coffin! I cared for her more than ever when she began to bare her soul to me! I knew I loved her more than anything when I saw her strength and determination, despite her past woes. I knew I could trust her when saw that she was willing to protect me. ME. A man she had only just met! I love your daughter, and if you dare question that again, I will throw you back into the Soul Cairn myself!" Marz roared, fangs snarling right in front of the matriarch's face.

Valerica, to her credit faired well, she dared not show her fear on her face, though it was clear in her eyes. There was little doubt in her mind who was the stronger vampire in the room, despite her superior age. But she was still a mother and that gave her more than enough strength to hold her ground.

"Then tell me why…" she choked out.

A look of realization crossed Marz's bat-like features as he dropped the Elder. He sighed, before reverting to his usual, weak-looking form.

"I'm sorry… I lost my temper there…"

"It happens to the best of us… but my question still stands. Why then?" Valerica demanded, rubbing her throat.

"Because I'm not sure if this is what SHE wants. If she truly feels the same or if any of this is real… Never once has she told me she loves me… I love her, and I want her as my wife more than anything. But I will not force my feelings on her if this is nothing more than a casual relationship." he stated firmly.

"…have you ever told her you loved her?" she asked.

"…well… no." he replied nervously.

"Have you ever gone out of your way to make it apparent?" she continued.

"…no."

"Then it sounds like you're both as dumb as Horkers." she stated simply.

"What? But… I see her twice a week… thrice if I am lucky! She always seems to avoid me if not on our… er… special days…" he finished lamely.

"Because she is just as unsure as you are." Valerica said simply, walking over to a collection of Marz's many books.

A look of complete, horrified embarrassment crossed Marz's features then.

"…what?"

"She has talked to me. As a daughter should with her mother… she has told me of her feelings of you. She loves you… more than anything. More than me. However, she fears saying it because she too is not sure if you view this as a… what did you call it? 'Casual Relationship'? She goes out to give you time to think. She avoids you so that you will come to her. She comes to you so you will not forget her." Valerica said with a chuckle.

Every word the older vampire was uttering gave Marz a greater sense of love and hope, but at the same time clear hatred form himself and his ignorance.

"…but it's been a year… why…"

"Vampire's are different than mortals. Time means nothing to us. What is a year to one that will live over a thousand? Both of you know this… subconsciously… so your minds have no problem with waiting… this little dance could have gone on over a century before either one of you felt it was time to make a proper move. But I see how distracted you are, and how much pain my daughter is in… so I'm speeding up the process." the vampiress said with a smirk, leafing through a book she had selected.

"…she loves me?" Marz asked.

A simple nod was all he received before he was out of the door in a blink of an eye.

Valerica chuckled.

"Ah, young love. Pure, wondrous… and stupid." she said turning back to the book she had selected.

She would pick a few more before returning to her lab. She would need something to keep her busy. She doubted she or any other members of the court would see Marz or her daughter for a few days.

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A.N.: And there we go, like I said, gonna be a oneshot unless I get a lot of request to continue… or if I feel like it. Let me now what you think, and remember to do my three R's! Relax, Read and Review!


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